hepburn



L. L. HEPBURN.

I MAGAZINE FIREARM.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

No. 560,032. Patented May 12, 18 96.

RW kw w INVENTOR Lewis LJzif/vfiurza /l V I I ATTORNEY (No Model.)

I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. L. HEPBURN. MAGAZINE FIREARM,

No. 560,032. Patented-May 12, 1896. S

WITNESSES:

L gyENgoR Law 5 urn. rfiluA 3 6 M Y Y v ATTORNEY ANDREW 5.6RAHAM.PHOTO-UIHQWASHINGTON. D C

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

L. L. HEPBURN. MAGAZINE FIREARM.

' Patented May 12, 1896.

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WSTNESSES: INVENTQR 3 @M Lffffiurru I 1 BY v [a 5% m v a ATTORNEY UNTTEDSTATES PATENT CFFICE.

LElVIS L. HEPBURN, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MARLINFIRE ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MAGAZINE-FIREARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,032, dated May 12,1896.

Application filed September 28,1895. Serial No. 563,965. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS L. HEPBURN, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement inMagazine-Firearms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in magazine-firearms of the classin which the breech-block is longitudinally reciprocated by means of ahandle adapted to travel parallel to the magazine and forward of thereceiver and my invention consists, primarily, in the novel constructionof the mechanical connections between the receiver portion of thefirearm and the detachable barrel and magazine portion.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and effective meanswhereby the barrcl and magazine portion of a firearm may be easily andquickly detached from the receiver portion of the firearm to facilitatepacking or transportation, said means also affording a positive lockingdevice between the said detachable parts when the same are united readyfor use.

A firearm to which this improved mechanism may be readily applied, andin connection with which I shall proceed to describe the improvementsherein claimed, is illustrated and described in my previous patent,numbered 528,905 and dated November 6, 1894.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of a magazinefirearm containing myinvention, the breech being closed. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the breechbeing open. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the details of myinvention. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the details shown in Fig. 3, partlyin section. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of a firearm, a part ofthe receiver being broken away to show the internal construction. Fig. 6is a side elevation of the breech-block and locking-bolt, said partsbeing detached from the receiver portion of the firearm. Fig. 7 is aview taken on the opposite side of the gun illustrated in Fig. 5,showing a modified detail of construction. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sideelevation of the opposite side of the gun from that shown in Fig. 5, a

portion of the receiver being broken away to reveal the internalconstruction. Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of the barrel and magazineportion, said portion being detached from the receiver. Fig. 10 is across-sectional view of the barrel and magazine portion, taken on theline an 00, Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is an elevation of the forward end of thereceiver. Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view of the barrel andmagazine portion, taken on the line 3 3 Fig. 2; and Fig. 13 is aperspective view of one of the details of my invention.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.

A is a gun-barrel detachably secured to the receiver B by means ofscrew-threads or their equivalents.

C is a magazine located parallel to the barrel and supported thereby byany suitable meansas, for instance, a band D. \Vithin the magazine iscarried the ordinary springpressed follower E. I

G is a reciprocating handle located adjacent to and traveling parallelwith the magazine, and by means of which the mechanism within thereceiver is operated.

G is a rod carried by the handle G and leading rearward and adapted topass into the receiver through a perforation B in its forward end andcommunicate with the mechanism therein through the medium of a stud Gcarried by said rod G.

H is aplate depending from the forward end of a locking-bolt I withinthe receiver. J is an inclined slot in said plate 11, the lower end ofwhich may be open for the purpose of permitting the stud G to be passedthereinto. (See Fig. 6.) This slot J may ext-end partially or entirelythrough the plate I, the former construction being preferable in thisinvention in order that the said plate may not be weakened by openingthe slot J at one end. After connecting the barrel to the receiver andmoving the rod G rearward, so as to insert the stud G2 into the slot Jready for operation, it is apparent that suitable means should beprovided to prevent the said stud from being withdrawn from the slotuntil it becomes desirable to again detach the barrel from the receiver.To accomplish this end,

I make use of a loosely-mounted retainingpiece K, having an arm Kprojecting therefrom, the shank of the retaining-piece being adapted tolie along the inner side of the rod G and to pass through theperforation B, as indicated in the drawings. When the barrel portion andreceiver portion are united ready for use, as indicated in Figs. 1 and2, the arm K of the retaining-piece is dropped into the recess A in thebarrel, (see also Fig. 12,) in which position the retaining-piece isprevented from longitudinal movement and in which position the rear orinner end of the shank of the said retaining-piece projects into thereceiver sufficiently far so that when the parts'are assembled and inthe position indicated in Fig. 1, in which the breech is closed, thestud G will abut against the inner extremity of the retaining-piece K,which prevents the stud from being withdrawn from the lower open end ofthe inclined slot J. (See Fig. 5 and dotted outline in Fig. 1.) lVhenthe breech mechanism is thrown back, as indicated in Fig. 2, the stud Grides the inclines of the slot J, causing the locking-bolt I to tilt, sothat the said stud will have a forward and rear bearing within saidslot, thus causing the breech-block to be longitudinally reciprocated bythe forward and rearward action of the handle G. \Vhen it is desired todetach the barrel portion from the receiver, the handle G is moved, sothat a recess G in the rod G stands opposite the recess A and arm K ofthe retaining-piece. The said arm may then be and is tilted into thesaid recess G (see Figs. 8 and 10,) freeing it from engagement with thesides of the recess A in the barrel. When the retaining-piece is in theposition indicated in Fig. 10, the handle G may be advanced until therod G is withdrawn entirely from the receiver 13, as indicated in Fig.8, the stud G freely leaving the inclined slot J, inasmuch as theretainingpiece, being in engagement with the rod G, moves longitudinallywith said rod, which withdraws it entirely from the receiver. Ifdesirable,a longitudinal slot G maybe formed in the outside of the rodG, said slot extendin g substantially the entire length of the arm, butnot entirely through the forward or rear end of the same, (see dottedlines in Fig. 3,) so that, by means of a screw D, carried by the band D,the said arm G is prevented from being entirely withdrawn from theopening in said band adjacent to the opening 13 in the receiver, the endof the screw D projecting through the said band and slightly into theslot-G So far as the position of the rod G and retaining-piece K affectsthe rotation of the barrel by acting as a bolt when projected into thereceiver, they are, when in the position indicated in Fig. 8, in aproper position to permit the free rotation and detachment of the barrelor magazine portion from the re ceiver portion. As, however, thefollower E or a cartridge head (should there be car tridges within thereceiver) would normally stand in a position indicated by the head ofthe cartridge in Fig. 8, the said follower would act as a bolt toprevent the rotation of the barrel. It is therefore essential that theextremity of the follower be held back at least flush with the rear edgeof the band D in order to permit the detachment of the parts. Itherefore provide a pawl M, spring-pressed, to normally move into theposition indicated in Fig. 9, in which position it will engage the headof said follower (or a cartridge, as the case may be) to hold the sameentirely within the magazine.

N is a shoulder projecting from the forward end of the receiver B andadapted, when the parts are assembled ready for use, to trip the pawl M,so as to permit the cartridges or the follower to freely move in thedirection of the receiver. To more perfectly lock the joint between thebarrel and the receiver, I make use of a cam-ring 0 similar to thatdescribed in aprevious patent granted to me on May 1, 189-1, andnumbered 518,950, and by means of which the said parts are uniformlywedged around the screw-threaded extremity of the barrel. In the presentinvention, however, the said cam-ring is provided with a hinged lever P,which is adapted, when the parts are in position for use, to lieparallel to the barrel and out of the way, as indicated in Fig. 5. Thiscam-ring O,in connection with the rod G and retaining-piece K,cooperatively act to produce an absolutely tightfitting and immovablejoint between the barrel and magazine portion and the receiver portion.Y

Q is a recess in the rear end of the barrel A, one edge of which recessis beveled for the purpose of permitting the spring extractorhook R,which normally rests in the recess Q, to ride up on the edge of the saidbarrel when the same is rotated for the purpose of detachment. Ifdesirable, a spring-stud S may be provided in the arm K of theretaining-piece (see Fig. 7 to engage with a notch in the adjacent sideedge of the recess A in the barrel when the parts are assembled for use,the function of said spring-stud S being to pro vide an additional meansto prevent the said arm K from tipping out of engagement with said notchA.

Ilaving thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a magazine-firearm having a barrel and magazine portion detachablysecured to the receiver, a rod supported by said barrel and magazineportion and free for longitudinal movement, a perforation in the forwardend of the receiver in line with said rod, and an independentretaining-piece K for preventing disengagement with the end of said rodfrom the breech mechanism.

2. In a magazine-firearm a barrel and magazine portion detachable fromthe receiver, a longitudinally-reciprocating rod supported by saidbarrel and magazine portion, a plate depending from the locking-bolt andprovided with an open-ended slot, a stud G on said rod moving in saidslot and means to prevent accidental disengagement of the same.

3. I11 a magazine-firearn1 having a barrel and magazine portiondetachably secured to the receiver by rotation, alongitudinally-reciprocating rod supported by and traveling parallel tosaid barrel and magazine portion, longitudinally-reciprocating breechmechanism, an open-ended slot J in said breech mechanism, a stud G2 onthe reciprocating rod, a perforation B in the forward end of thereceiver to admit said rod, and means for detachably connecting the endof the said reciprocating rod with the open-ended slot in the breechmechanism, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

at. In a magazine-firearm a barrel detachable from the receiver portion,said barrel supporting a magazine and a longitudinallyreciprocating rod,a perforation in the forward end of the receiver to admit the said rod,a reciprocating breech-block carrying a tilting locking-bolt having adepending plate H, an inclined slot J in said plate open at the lowerend to receive a stud carried by said rod, and means to prevent saidstud from accidental disengagement with said plate.

5. In a magazine-firearm having a barrel detachable from the receiver byrotation, a magazine rigidly supported by said barrel, alongitudinally-reciprocating rod supported by said barrel, a perforationB in the forward end of the receiver to admit said rod which isdetachably connected to the breech mechanism within the receiver, aretaining-piece adjacent to but independent of said rod and passing intoor through said perforation B, all arranged substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

6. In a magazine-firearm having a barrel and receiver portion detachablefrom the magazine by rotation, a rod G supported by said barrel andreceiver portion, said rod being susceptible of longitudinal movement,entering a perforation in the forward end of the receiver and detachablyconnected to the breech mechanism, a retaining-pieee K having an arm Kwhich when in engagement with a recess A in the barrel preventsaccidental disengagement of the said rod G from the breech mechanism, arecess G in the rod adapted to receive the arm K to permit a Withdrawalof the rod and retaining-piece entirely from the receiver.

'7. A magazine-firearm comprising a barrel and magazine portiondetachably secured to the receiver portion by rotation, a cam-ringloosely mounted around the threaded portion of the barrel and adapted tooccupy the space between the receiver and barrel portions, a lever Phinged to said cam-ring O at a point closely adjacent to said barrel andadapted when the parts are assembled to swing into the space between thebarrel and magazine portions.

8. In a magazine-firearm having a barrel and magazine portion detachablyconnected to the receiver, a 1011gitudinally-reciprocating rod Gsupported by said barrel and receiver portion and detachably connectedto the breech mechanism Within the receiver, a re taining-piece for thepurpose described, an arm K projecting from said retaining-piececarrying a spring-pressed stud S, a recess A in the barrel, having inits side wall adjacent to the stud S a depression adapted to receivesaid spring-stud, and a recess G in said rod G, all substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

- LEWIS L. HEPBURN. \Vituesses:

R. O. MITCHELL, Ms. S. OswALn.

